ROUND 1 - Themed

Each answer consists of two words which start with consecutive letters of the alphabet

1.

Whose Crazy World had a number one hit in 1968 with Fire?

2.

Who was the lead singer of the Bay City Rollers?

3.

Which football manager was sacked, in part, because of his dealings with Eileen Drewery?

4.

Brand was the first play by which playwright?

5.

Whose operas include Elektra and Arabella?

6.

Who claimed that her husband was “too full of the milk of human kindness”?

7.

In Brideshead Revisited who was the father of Sebastian Flyte?

8.

Which footballer with 24 goals in 49 internationals is 12th in the list of top England goalscorers?

ROUND 2

1.

What links Never Say Die (1954) and Teenoso (1983)?

2.

Which Scottish writer’s novels include Quite Ugly One Morning, A Big Boy Did It and Ran Away and Boiling a Frog?

3.

Which motorcycle manufacturer makes the Fat Boy?

4.

At which battle in 52 BC did Julius Caesar defeat Vercingetorix and effectively end resistance in Gaul?

5.

What geographical claim to fame is held by Kaffeklubben Island?

6.

Why was Stefania Belmondo in the news recently?

7.

Which religion has buildings called stupas?

8.

Which small bird of prey’s Latin name is Falco subbuteo?

ROUND 3

1.

Why was General A E Percival in the news on this day 64 years ago?

2.

In the Winter Olympics, which event involves competitors travelling head first down the bobsleigh course on a sled no more than 120cm long?

3.

Put these three countries in order of population, highest first:

Chile, Ghana, Romania

4.

By what name is Curtis Jackson better known?

5.

Add the number of players an ice hockey team can have on the ice at any one time, to the number of players in a rugby league team, to the maximum number of players possible on a cricket pitch during play.  What total do you get?

6.

Which British director’s films include Sarajevo, 24 Hour Party People and 9 Songs?

7.

In Japan, what is a Maiko?

8.

Name the year:

Alaska becomes the 49th U. S. state, West German forces join NATO, the last British troops leave Jordan.

ROUND 4

1.

Why was General A E Percival in the news on this day 64 years ago?

2.

In the Winter Olympics, which event involves competitors travelling head first down the bobsleigh course on a sled no more than 120cm long?

3.

Put these three countries in order of population, highest first:

Chile, Ghana, Romania

4.

By what name is Curtis Jackson better known?

5.

Add the number of players an ice hockey team can have on the ice at any one time, to the number of players in a rugby league team, to the maximum number of players possible on a cricket pitch during play.  What total do you get?

6.

Which British director’s films include Sarajevo, 24 Hour Party People and 9 Songs?

7.

In Japan, what is a Maiko?

8.

Name the year:

Alaska becomes the 49th US state, West German forces join NATO, the last British troops leave Jordan.

ROUND 5 - Themed

All the answers have a narcotic link

1.

Which film of 1994, starring Keanu Reeves and Dennis Hopper, was directed by Jan van Bont?

2.

How is the tree aesculus hippocastanum better known?

3.

Which Austrian born philosopher’s works include The Logic of Scientific Discovery and The Open Society and its Enemies?

4.

In which film of 1965 did Charlton Heston star as Michelangelo?

5.

Black and White Rag was the theme tune to which TV series?

6.

In which fictional town is the novel Hard Times set?

7.

Whose autobiographical novel, Maurice, wasn’t published until after the author’s death in 1971?

8.

Which long running TV series’ presenters included Peter Glaze, Don McLean and Stu Francis?

ROUND 6

1.

In which 3 years did Red Rum win the Grand National?

2.

Which Scottish writer’s novels include Blue Genes, The Wire in the Blood and The Torment of Others?

3.

Which motorcycle manufacturer makes the Bonneville?

4.

Who led the Goths who sacked Rome in 410 AD?

5.

Which lake is so deep that it contains about 20% of the world’s unfrozen fresh water?

6.

Who was Great Britain’s flag bearer in the Turin Winter Olympics opening ceremony?

7.

With which religion are the Towers of Silence (dakhma) associated?

8.

Which small garden and woodland bird’s Latin name is Troglodytes troglodytes?

ROUND 7

1.

Who is the president of the EU Commission

2.

Which composer is the subject of birth centenary celebrations with a run of concerts in Manchester?

3.

Which country has borders with Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Togo?

4.

Which English Cathedral City is the smallest, being nowadays only a city in name?

5.

At which railway junction town and station do lines to Northampton and Birmingham diverge from the West Coast Main Line?

6.

“Full Fathom Five thy Father lies; of his bones are corals made” comes from which play by Shakespeare?

7.

Which three countries have Atlantic and Mediterranean Coasts?

8.

Conium maculatum, a plant which is found in British ditches, riversides and damp ground as well as Greece, was responsible for the death of which famous figure in the ancient world?

ROUND 8

1.

On this day, 73 years ago a deranged, unemployed bricklayer named Giuseppe Zangara, shouted “Too many people are starving”.  What did he do next?

2.

In the Winter Olympics, which event involves competitors performing on snow tricks derived from Skateboarding?

3.

Put these countries in order of population, highest first:

Venezuela, Portugal, Mozambique

4.

What is Eminem’s real name?

5.

Add the maximum break in snooker, to the minimum number of darts required to finish a 501 game, to the number of teams left it this year’s FA Cup?

6.

Who directed the 1958 film A Touch of Evil?

7.

In Germany, if you were going to the Rathaus, where would you be going?

8.

Name the year:

Irish Free State becomes Eire, Shangai falls to the Japanese, Franco’s forces take Bilbao.

1.

Why was lawyer Harry Whittington in the news this week?

2.

Which nations contested last Friday’s African Cup of Nations final?

3.

What was the name of the tanker that ran aground off Milford Haven ten years ago tonight?

4.

Who won BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing?

5.

Who won Channel 4’s Celebrity Big Brother?

ROUND 1 - Themed

Each answer consists of two words which start with consecutive letters of the alphabet

1.

Whose Crazy World had a number one hit in 1968 with Fire?

Arthur Brown

2.

Who was the lead singer of the Bay City Rollers?

Les McKeown

3.

Which football manager was sacked, in part, because of his dealings with Eileen Drewery?

Glenn Hoddle

(she was the spiritualist who advised him)

4.

Brand was the first play by which playwright?

Henrik Ibsen

5.

Whose operas include Elektra and Arabella?

Richard Strauss

6.

Who claimed that her husband was “too full of the milk of human kindness”?

Lady Macbeth

7.

In Brideshead Revisited who was the father of Sebastian Flyte?

Lord Marchmain

8.

Which footballer with 24 goals in 49 internationals is 12th in the list of top England goalscorers?

Geoff Hurst

ROUND 2

1.

What links Never Say Die (1954) and Teenoso (1983)?

Lester Piggott’s first and last Derby winners

2.

Which Scottish writer’s novels include Quite Ugly One Morning, A Big Boy Did It and Ran Away and Boiling a Frog?

Christopher Brookmyre

3.

Which motorcycle manufacturer makes the Fat Boy?

Harley-Davidson

4.

At which battle in 52 BC did Julius Caesar defeat Vercingetorix and effectively end resistance in Gaul?

Alesia

5.

What geographical claim to fame is held by Kaffeklubben Island?

World’s most northerly piece of land

(off north coast of Greenland)

6.

Why was Stefania Belmondo in the news recently?

She lit the Olympic flame in Turin

7.

Which religion has buildings called stupas?

Buddhism

8.

Which small bird of prey’s Latin name is Falco subbuteo?

Hobby

(The inventor of Subbuteo table football wanted to call his game ‘The Hobby’, but the Patent Office refused to allow this; he was also a keen ornithologist, hence the name)

ROUND 3

1.

Who is the president of the World Bank?

Paul Wolfowitz

2.

Which famous painter was born 400 years ago in Amsterdam?

Rembrandt

3.

Which country has borders with Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania?

Kenya

4.

Which English Cathedral city was refounded in its present situation in the late 12th century?

Salisbury

5.

At which railway junction town and station do trains from Birmingham to the North usually rejoin the West Coast Main Line?

Stafford

6.

“If music be the food of love, play on, give me excess of it” is the first line and a half of which Shakespeare play?

Twelfth Night

7.

Which three countries border the Skagerrak?

Denmark, Norway and Sweden

8.

According to popular tradition Queen Boudicca made much use of isatis tinctoria in her make up. What is it?

Woad

ROUND 4

1.

Why was General A E Percival in the news on this day 64 years ago?

He surrendered Singapore to the Japanese

2.

In the Winter Olympics, which event involves competitors travelling head first down the bobsleigh course on a sled no more than 120cm long?

Skeleton

3.

Put these three countries in order of population, highest first:

Chile, Ghana, Romania

Romania (22.7m),

Ghana (16.4m),

Chile (13.8m)

4.

By what name is Curtis Jackson better known?

50 cent

5.

Add the number of players an ice hockey team can have on the ice at any one time, to the number of players in a rugby league team, to the maximum number of players possible on a cricket pitch during play.  What total do you get?

34

(6+13+15)

6.

Which British director’s films include Sarajevo, 24 Hour Party People and 9 Songs?

Michael Winterbottom

7.

In Japan, what is a Maiko?

A trainee Geisha

8.

Name the year:

Alaska becomes the 49th US state, West German forces join NATO, the last British troops leave Jordan.

1958

ROUND 5 - Themed

All the answers have a narcotic link

1

Which film of 1994, starring Keanu Reeves and Dennis Hopper, was directed by Jan van Bont?

Speed

2.

How is the tree aesculus hippocastanum better known?

Horse chestnut

3.

Which Austrian born philosopher’s works include The Logic of Scientific Discovery and The Open Society and its Enemies?

Karl Popper

4.

In which film of 1965 did Charlton Heston star as Michelangelo?

The Agony and the Ecstasy

5.

Black and White Rag was the theme tune to which TV series?

Pot Black

6.

In which fictional town is the novel Hard Times set?

Coketown

7.

Whose autobiographical novel, Maurice, wasn’t published until after the author’s death in 1971?

E M Forster

8.

Which long running TV series’ presenters included Peter Glaze, Don McLean and Stu Francis?

Crackerjack

ROUND 6

1

In which 3 years did Red Rum win the Grand National?

1973, 1974 and 1977

2.

Which Scottish writer’s novels include Blue Genes, The Wire in the Blood and The Torment of Others?

Val McDermid

3.

Which motorcycle manufacturer makes the Bonneville?

Triumph

4.

Who led the Goths who sacked Rome in 410 AD?

Alaric

5.

Which lake is so deep that it contains about 20% of the world’s unfrozen fresh water?

Lake Baikal

6.

Who was Great Britain’s flag bearer in the Turin Winter Olympics opening ceremony?

Rhona Martin

7.

With which religion are the Towers of Silence (dakhma) associated?

Zoroastrianism

8.

Which small garden and woodland bird’s Latin name is Troglodytes troglodytes?

Wren

ROUND 7

1.

Who is the president of the EU Commission

Jose Manuel Baroso

2.

Which composer is the subject of birth centenary celebrations with a run of concerts in Manchester?

Shostakovitch

3.

Which country has borders with Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Togo?

Ghana

4.

Which English Cathedral City is the smallest, being nowadays only a city in name?

Wells

5.

At which railway junction town and station do lines to Northampton and Birmingham diverge from the West Coast Main Line?

Rugby

6.

“Full Fathom Five thy Father lies; of his bones are corals made” comes from which play by Shakespeare?

The Tempest

7.

Which three countries have Atlantic and Mediterranean Coasts?

France, Spain and Morrocco

(no not Portugal!)

8.

Conium maculatum, a plant which is found in British ditches, riversides and damp ground as well as Greece, was responsible for the death of which famous figure in the ancient world?

Socrates

(the plant is hemlock)

ROUND 8

1.

On this day, 73 years ago a deranged, unemployed bricklayer named Giuseppe Zangara, shouted “Too many people are starving”.  What did he do next?

Attempted to assassinate Franklin Roosevelt

2.

In the Winter Olympics, which event involves competitors performing on snow tricks derived from Skateboarding?

Snowboarding Half Pipe

(do not accept just Snowboarding)

3.

Put these countries in order of population, highest first:

Venezuela, Portugal, Mozambique

Venezuela (20.7m),

Mozambique (15.3m),

Portugal (9.8m)

4.

What is Eminem’s real name?

Marshall Mathers

5.

Add the maximum break in snooker, to the minimum number of darts required to finish a 501 game, to the number of teams left it this year’s FA Cup?

172

(147+9+16)

6.

Who directed the 1958 film A Touch of Evil?

Orson Welles

7.

In Germany, if you were going to the Rathaus, where would you be going?

To the Town hall

8.

Name the year:

Irish Free State becomes Eire, Shangai falls to the Japanese, Franco’s forces take Bilbao.

1937

1.

Why was lawyer Harry Whittington in the news this week?

Dick Cheney shot him

(we haven’t asked a Dick Cheney question for ages!)

2.

Which nations contested last Friday’s African Cup of Nations final?

Egypt and Ivory Coast

3.

What was the name of the tanker that ran aground off Milford Haven ten years ago tonight?

Sea Empress

4.

Who won BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing?

Darren Gough

5.

Who won Channel 4’s Celebrity Big Brother?

Chantelle (Houghton)

Go back to Spare questions without answers